To ask overseas folk what British quirks they think are weird/funny?

[Burntmybiscuits]

Us Brits are always on our high horse, making light humour over the habits of other countries (particularly the U.S!), so I thought it would be funny to see what people overseas find 'unique' about us!

Having on-off switches on plugs is also something one does not frequently encounter in other countries.

It's perfectly normal in New Zealand

My husband is American and doesn't understand when I make fun of him 🤔

we didn't rinse dishes growing up. Someone in our family visited America (or it may have been Canadian cousins visiting us?) and they commented, and I remember my mum thinking about it, and once she had heard they rinsed it was like a eureka moment and after that she always rinsed. The dishes never tasted soapy, it all evaporated off. But I can't imagine not rinsing now.

drop your plugged in hairdryer into a bathtub you sit in

why would you dry your hair when you haven't finished the bath yet?

Thank you @Inebriatededna - I was going to write this.

I paraphrased and yes, exaggerated for effect

nope, you misrepresented something I didn't say, and was clear from the post I didn't say, but feel free, just change it for a laugh, a cheap dig, that's fine.

apparently, it was quite common for people to take plug in heaters into the bathroom, and balance them somewhere due to lack of space, eg on the basin, and then have an accident when they fell in the bath.

Now we know why no sockets!😳

nope, you misrepresented something I didn't say, and was clear from the post I didn't say, but feel free, just change it for a laugh, a cheap dig, that's fine.

Honestly, that’s how I took what you said. Which is why I responded as I did - it’s a common response to immigrants here saying they don’t like something British and often enough leads to something more unpleasant.

I am willing to accept that it’s not what you intended. How about you accept that I’m also being straightforward - I don’t post on Mumsnet for lols at the expense of others. On a nice and lighthearted thread I found your comment really jarring, and I pointed it out. You didn’t mean it that way, you’ve elaborated, I’ve elaborated. We’re all hopefully decent people and can leave it there.

@Elouera - Really? As I said I've never heard of anyone rinsing in NZ. The only times I have tasted something yucky on dishes is on those which have come out of a dishwasher (which many people here have, but I don't like them). They must either use different detergent, or more of it, in other places because you really can't taste soap suds here.

It's hardly the same as shampooing your hair, as the ratio of water to soap is much greater with dishes.

I can see a sudden spike in orders for Dinner for One coming as all us clueless Brits start placing online orders - cue stockists scratching their heads at the sudden increase.

Definitely think we should have a scheduled date for us all watching it at the same time.

I’m intrigued and think it’s the loveliest thing I’ve taken from this thread - loads of people watching it elsewhere, absolutely convinced that it’s one of our “things”. Priceless 😃

As someone who is both British and American, it is quite fun watching Brits being poked fun at on here for a change.

Thanks to those who took it so well.

windows opening outwards so you can’t clean them yourself. there is a sector for window cleaning!

tv license. you have to pay to be able to watch the tv. seriously?! :)

My German friend find that we do a sort of 'fake niceness' with new people.

Her pet hate is Brits saying 'Oh lovely, we must meet for coffee sometime' but they don't actually ever intend to meet for coffee.

She asked me how you know if it is genuine or just politeness, and I had to say I have no idea!

Actually, we become friends because one day we met (we met regularly at something we both went to) and we did the
hello
hello
how are you
I'm fine how are you
I'm fine

and then there was a pause and I said to her - no really how are you? and she then poured out her heart as she was feeling rubbish and in that moment we crashed past the 'Britishness' and became friends.

Interesting one poster mentioned about certain Europeans staring. My kids noticed this when we went skiing in Austria, every night other dinner guests sat and looked at then for ages.

Howling at the description of getting Swedes and Danes to talk about house renovations 😂 absolutely true!

Dinner for one is a great bit of telly and deserves a lot more recognition.

Yes agree i cant eat or drink from unrinsed crockery. My Mother taught me to rinse every thing always have always will I also hate the stink of crockery from a dishwasher.

We do have shaver plugs for electric toothbrushes etc in our bathroom now and a proper plug (in the airing cupboard) but I'm not rushing to use it anytime soon.

Just dry your hair in your bedroom sitting down possibly

Worked with Danes then Swedes for a bit and only things I learned were a) never ever confuse the two because they are so totally, utterly, completely different in every way

Oh yes, all Brits/Americans seem Incapable of distinguishing the Scandinavian countries, it is tiresome . Especially as you just have to tell someone Scottish that they are English to get a similar reaction.

But Swedes are weird and different compared to Danes you know 🤣.
(sorry Swedish people).

Do any of you want to hear of our recent home improvements?

I recently discovered that in Europe April fools day doesn't stop at mid day! Everyone looked at me as if I was mad when I explained (and said the ditty).

I recently discovered that in Europe April fools day doesn't stop at mid day! Everyone looked at me as if I was mad when I explained (and said the ditty).
What do you mean it stops midday. That's news to me!

I have so enjoyed this thread! Talk about seeing yourself as others see you. And I agree entirely about the absurd adherence to the minutiae of school uniform in British schools.

Despite having visited most of Europe and the east coast of the US, I had never noticed the absence of overflows on baths in other countries. And I always used to rinse the dishes in pre-diswasher days, imo it's scuzzy not to.

April fools day doesn't stop at mid day!

It doesn't, whatever do you mean ?

@Longtalljosie Ha!! My cousins, who must be from the country you're living in, told us about this Dinner for One recently. They described in great detail exactly what happens at each stage of the dinner... oh my god. Not sure which nationality it says more about...

I just finished page 6 out of 10 so apologies if it's been mentioned, but kids in nappies up to the age of 3+.
It's one of those things which became completely accepted here but I bet in the 50s people would be bewildered even by a 2 year old who's not potty trained.
It must be the same in US or anywhere where disposable nappies existed for a long time so in nearly no-one's living memory it's normal and expected to have kids using the potty at 18 months old.

Same as cereal is not real food, just processed junk to use as an emergency/camping/treat for many outside UK/USA/Canada because cereal production and cereal advertising started decades earlier here. Most other countries would cook the actual grains from which the cereals are made.

@Furries 'Dinner for One' is on YouTube and it's only 17 minutes long

I'm up for it! Could start A Thread tomorrow evening for anyone who wants to watch.

Now what GMT timezone should it be in

and we all have to eat
CRISPS CRISPS CRISPS
while watching it
👍